Transportation of Russian oil via Druzhba resumed

The transit of Russian oil through the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline was resumed on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. This was reported by Slovakia’s Minister of Economy Denisa Saková.

On the morning of April 22, pressure testing and filling of the pipeline with oil began from the Belarusian side. The first deliveries of Russian oil to Slovakia and Hungary are expected to arrive on the morning of Thursday, April 23.

Hungarian company MOL reported that the Ukrainian pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta officially confirmed the completion of repair works on the Druzhba pipeline and lifted the force majeure that had been in effect since January 27, 2026, following a Russian strike.

According to Reuters, the first oil volumes will be delivered in equal shares to Hungary and Slovakia. Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had completed repair works on the Druzhba pipeline. He added that Ukraine expects the unblocking of a €90 billion EU loan following the completion of repairs.

As a reminder, the transit of Russian oil through Ukraine had been suspended since January 27 after Russia struck pipeline infrastructure in the Lviv region.

According to ExPro estimates, since the beginning of the year Ukraine transported about 0.6 million tons of Russian oil (in January), which is six times lower than in the same period last year (January 1 – April 21).

As reported by ExPro, Ukraine transported about 9.73 million tons of Russian oil via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline in 2025, down 14% compared to 2024 (11.36 million tons). This is also the lowest level since at least 2014, and likely the lowest since Ukraine’s independence in 1991.